Crème Brûlée

Published December 22, 2022. Updated January 5, 2023

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Creme Brûlée – A transcendent dessert made with a few simple ingredients including luscious heavy cream, sweet simple sugar, rich egg yolks, and vanilla bean for premium flavor. It’s the method that makes this impressive treat unique.

The custard is baked in individual dishes in a water-bath after which it’s chilled to set, and for the crowning finish it’s sprinkled with plain sugar and melted with a hot flame to caramelize.

Creme brulee shown on a vintage baking sheet. Sugar shell is broken to show interior custard cream filling.

What is Creme Brûlée?

Crème brûlée is a French dessert that literally means “burnt cream,” as it is a custard with a hard caramelized sugar shell coating the top. The contrasting layers make it one of my favorite dessert recipes out there.

It is generally made in individual dishes called “ramekins” and served chilled. And it can be made in various flavors but the classic mostly commonly found variation is vanilla.

Dessert really just doesn’t get any better than this! To crack through that incredibly crisp, perfectly golden brown, candy-like shell into a decadent, silky smooth custard is supreme dessert bliss.

This is proof that sometimes the simplest ingredients can create the ultimate recipes.

This dramatic dessert may seem intimidating to make but it really is quite easy. Just follow this method and you can’t go wrong.

Creme brûlée with vanilla bean.

Creme Brûlée Recipe Ingredients

  • Heavy cream
  • Granulated sugar
  • Egg yolks
  • Salt
  • Vanilla bean
  • Vanilla extract
  • Hot water

See below for full recipe with amounts and print option.

Creme brûlée ingredients

How to Make Crème Brûlée Custard

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pour cream into a medium saucepan.
  2. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add to saucepan along with vanilla bean pod.
  3. Heat mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a simmer.
  4. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes.
  5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup granulated sugar and salt with egg yolks until mixture becomes slightly pale.
  6. While whisking, slowly pour cream mixture into egg yolk mixture. Stir in vanilla extract and remove vanilla bean pod.

Six steps showing how to make creme brûlée custard. Four photos showing how fill custard cups and bake creme brûlée in a water bath.

How to Bake and Caramelize Creme Brûlée

  1. Place ramekins into two baking pans. Divide cream mixture among ramekins (about 8 – 6 oz ramekins or about 12 – 4 oz ramekins), filling each nearly full.
  2. Pour hot water into pan (being careful not to get any in ramekins) and fill water level to about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  3. Bake in preheated oven 30 – 45 minutes, until set but centers still jiggle slightly (bake time will vary based on which size ramekins used, lesser for smaller, greater for larger).
  4. Cool at room temperature 30 minutes then transfer to refrigerator to chill 3 hours.
  5. Remove from refrigerator. Sprinkle tops evenly with remaining sugar.
  6. Holding a hand held kitchen torch about 4-inches from sugar, evenly brown sugar with the flame. Remove the flame just before desired shade is reached.
  7. Serve right away or to chill through let rest in fridge again for 20 to 30 minutes.

Creme brûlée sugar being caramelized with a torch.

Where Can I Buy a Culinary Torch?

If you are looking to purchase a kitchen torch you can get them on Amazon HERE. Bed Bath and Beyond, Lowes, Target, Walmart, Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table are more places that sell them to name a few.

Some recipes use the broiler to caramelize the sugar in making creme brûlée, but I prefer to use a culinary torch because it gives you more control over how evenly the sugar melts.

Can I Caramelize in the Oven Instead of with the Kitchen Torch?

  • If you don’t have a torch and don’t want to invest in one than you can try the broiler route.
  • Be sure the dishes you are using are broiler proof.
  • Once they’re chilled – set the oven rack about 5 – 6 inches away from the broiler.
  • Place the custards on a rimmed baking sheet, cover custards with the sugar and broil for about 5 minutes until sugar caramelizes – keep a close eye on them though as they can burn quickly.

Overhead photo of five completed creme brûlée on a dark tray.

Helpful Tips for Creme Brûlée

  • These are best served within a few hours of caramelizing the sugar.
  • The custards can be made a day or two in advance but wait to add the sugar and caramelize until ready to serve. It softens upon resting in the fridge.
  • Be careful not to over-bake the custards or the texture won’t be quite as smooth.
  • On the other hand be mindful they aren’t under-baked or the custard will be runny. They should just barely jiggle in the center to test for doneness.
  • Plan ahead with this dessert. Then need plenty of time to chill to set completely.
  • If you’d like creme brûlée even richer you can use 10 egg yolks in this recipe (rather than 8).

Close up photo of creme brûlée garnished with raspberry and mint.

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Creme brulee shown on a vintage baking sheet. Sugar shell is broken to show interior custard cream filling.
5 from 6 votes

Crème Brûlée

A transcendent dessert made with a few simple ingredients including luscious heavy cream, sweet simple sugar, rich egg yolks, and vanilla bean for premium flavor. It's the method that makes this impressive treat unique.
The custard is baked in individual dishes in a water-bath after which it's chilled to set, and for the crowning finish it's sprinkled with plain sugar and melted with a hot flame to caramelize.
Servings: 7 -6 oz Ramekins
Prep1 hour 40 minutes
Cook50 minutes
Ready in: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat a pot or kettle with hot water for the water bath.
  • Pour cream into a medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add to saucepan along with vanilla bean pod.
  • Heat mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a simmer. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup granulated sugar and salt with egg yolks until mixture becomes slightly pale.
  • While whisking, slowly pour cream mixture into egg yolk mixture. Stir in vanilla extract and remove vanilla bean pod.
  • Place ramekins into baking pans. Divide cream mixture among ramekins (about 7 - (6 oz) ramekins or about 12 (4 oz) ramekins), filling each nearly full. Pour hot water into pan (being careful not to get any in ramekins) and fill water level to about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  • Bake in preheated oven 30 - 45 minutes, until set but centers still jiggle slightly (bake time will vary based on which size ramekins used, lesser for smaller, greater for larger). Cool at room temperature 30 minutes then transfer to refrigerator to chill 3 hours.
  • Sprinkle tops evenly with remaining sugar. Holding a hand held kitchen torch, about 4-inches from sugar, evenly brown sugar. Remove the flame just before desired shade is reached.
  • Serve right away or to fully chill through return to refrigerator and chill 20 - 30 minutes.

Notes

  • These are best served within a few hours of caramelizing the sugar. The custards can be made a day or two in advance but wait to add the sugar and caramelize until ready to serve. It softens upon sitting in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts
Crème Brûlée
Amount Per Serving
Calories 647 Calories from Fat 495
% Daily Value*
Fat 55g85%
Saturated Fat 33g206%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 15g
Cholesterol 376mg125%
Sodium 6027mg262%
Potassium 154mg4%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Sugar 34g38%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 2296IU46%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 120mg12%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.